Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2021

1 4 Celebrity Apex made history when it became the first cruise ship to be delivered virtually at the start of the pandemic “Sustainability is a core area of Royal Caribbean Group’s business,” says Fain. “While I’m proud of the progress we have achieved, the importance of this area has grown exponentially. Consistent with our mantra of continuous improvement, we have significantly expanded our aspirations in this critical area and are setting even more aggressive goals for the coming years.” One of Royal Caribbean Group’s most ambitious aims is to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants by 25 per cent by 2025 after achieving its initial 35 per cent emissions reduction target ahead of schedule in 2018. To attain this goal, it opened a wind farm in partnership with Southern Power in Kansas, USA, in May 2020, which is expected to offset up to 12 per cent of its global emissions annually. The company is also investing in cleaner and more energy-efficient ways to power its cruise ships. To date, 70 per cent of the fleet is fitted with advanced emissions purification systems to remove 98 per cent of sulphur dioxide emissions and ensure compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s 2020 sulphur limits. Since 2000, Royal Caribbean Group has also equipped eight vessels with gas-turbine engines, which burn cleaner fuels and emit less air pollution. The fleet’s newest vessels – Royal Caribbean International’s Odyssey of the Seas and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex – were all built with selective catalytic reduction systems to cut nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 90 per cent. All future newbuilds will feature these too. Two of the group’s brands have gone a step further by ordering LNG-fuelled vessels. In June 2021, Meyer Turku began constructing Icon of the Seas, the first of Royal Caribbean International’s three LNG-powered, Icon-class vessels, which will be able to connect to shore power in port when she debuts in autumn 2023. Royal Caribbean International is also trialling a new zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell system that uses an electrochemical reaction to convert LNG fuel directly into electricity and heat. If trials show the solution delivers sufficient energy for powering hotel services while vessels are berthed in port, it will be installed onboard the 5,000-guest Icon-class vessels. Meanwhile, TUI Cruises’ two LNG-fuelled ships are scheduled for completion in 2024 and 2026. “LNG is a very important transitional fuel because it significantly reduces emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, and completely eliminates emissions of sulphur oxide and fine particulates,” says Fain. “However, while LNG is environmentally advantageous, it’s only an interim step on our path towards our long-term goal of a zero-carbon future. We’re actively researching and assessing the effectiveness and viability of various technologies, as well as new non-carbon-based fuels such as biofuels, to help us achieve this aim.” In addition, Royal Caribbean Group has invested in shore power to eliminate KEYNOTE